Astounding savings!

I have become a coupon addict. I promise that this blog will not become all about shopping, all the time, but I just can't resist posting the great deals and steals that I find when I find them! This whole obsession began by Ryan and I finally completing step 3 of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover: save up 6 months of expenses in an Emergency Fund. It took us 2 years, but we did it! WhaHOO, what an accomplishment!

Steps 4, 5, and 6 are Save 15% of Income for Retirement, Save for Kids' College, and Pay Down the Mortgage. Ugh. We realized that our family budget is simply too tight to afford step 4, let alone the others. So we decided to look at our spending from every angle and see where we could make, not find, the room to save for retirement. And that's when a link to CouponConnectionsNW came across my facebook thread!

I was amazed that people could get things for free, legally, and often! But I was skeptical. However, I thought - if I can learn this, do it well, slash our food and household budgets in half (or more), and get free products what do I have to lose? So, Amber from CCNW came over and did a class at our house, teaching me and some friends how to become Couponistas!

This has been my first week, as a baby couponista, toddling my way through savings. And here are just some of the amazing results:

2 Scrubbing Bubbles spray cleaners
4 spray cleaner refills
2 boxes of Tampax tampons
1 Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaners
4 boxes Ziploc 1-qt storage bags
2 55-oz Arm&Hammer laundry detergent
3 boxes Quaker instant oatmeal
1 box Cheerios
1 box Trix

Retail Value: $91.27
Amount I paid after coupons, rebates, and refunds: $6.94
Total Savings: $84.33!!!

Now, some of these items I needed, and some I didn't but I got them because I actually MADE money by buying them, and I got to begin a stockpile of cleaning supplies and food so that when I need them, I have purchased them at rock-bottom prices instead of running out to the store to get them for retail.

Dear readers: if I can do this, YOU can do this! It just takes a little time and patience to learn how but come on, isn't it worth it?